Dengue (pronounced DENgee) fever is a painful, debilitating mosquito-borne disease caused by any one of four closely related dengue viruses. These viruses are related to the viruses that cause West Nile infection and yellow fever.

Dengue fever is transmitted by the bite of an Aedes mosquito infected with a dengue virus. The mosquito becomes infected when it bites a person with dengue virus in their blood . It can’t be spread directly from one person to another person.

Symptoms of Dengue Fever

Symptoms, which usually begin four to six days after infection and last for up to 10 days, may include

Myalgia

You get muscle pain  when you contact dengue. Pain in the joint is most common symptom, accompanied by high fever. It is called myalgia when the dengue has reached a severe state.

Severe abdominal pain 


Abdominal pain, accompanied by high fever and headaches, is one of the characteristics of Dengue. Hemorrhage in the abdomen along with other conditions, can also cause severe abdominal pain.

Excruciating headaches



Unbearable headache is a common characteristics of Dengue hemorrhagic fever. Debilitating headaches also transmit to the eye, neck and shoulders.

Fluid accumulation in the liver 



Accumulation of fluid in the liver can occur In dengue fever. It is a serious complication as it can lead to liver failure if left untreated. Therefore, it is important to seek the help of an experienced health care professional at the first onset of symptoms.

Diagnosing Dengue Fever

Doctors can diagnose dengue infection with a blood test to check for the virus or antibodies to it. If you become sick after traveling to a tropical area, let your doctor know. This will allow your doctor to evaluate the possibility that your symptoms were caused by a dengue infection.

Treatment for Dengue Fever

There is no specific medicine to treat dengue infection. If you think you may have dengue fever, you should use pain relievers with acetaminophen and avoid medicines with aspirin , which could worsen bleeding. You should also rest, drink plenty of fluids, and see your doctor. If you start to feel worse in the first 24 hours after your fever goes down, you should get to a hospital immediately to be checked for complications.

Preventing Dengue Fever

There is no vaccine to prevent dengue fever. The best way to prevent the disease is to prevent bites by infected mosquitoes, particularly if you are living in or traveling to a tropical area. This involves protecting yourself and making efforts to keep the mosquito population down.